Grains
17 lbs Marris Otter Pale x 38ppg = 646 points
Hops
2oz Fuggles @ FWH
1oz Fuggles @ 45
1oz Fuggles @ 30
1oz Fuggles @ 15
1oz Fuggles @ 0
1oz Fuggles @ DH
Brewing
7 gallons of water at 158° to reach 148°
The Numbers
Total Points: 646
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity:1.099 (1.065 @ 65%)
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity:
Efficiency:
Expected Post-Boil Gravity: 1.107 (1.070 @ 65%)
Actual Post-Boil Gravity:
Efficiency:
Expected Final Gravity:
Acual Final Gravity:
% ABV:
Attenuation:
The Verdict
Friday, October 26, 2012
Oatmeal Cream Stout
Grains
10lbs Marris Otter Pale x 38ppg = 380 points
2lbs White Wheat x 40ppg = 80 points
1lb Crystal 60L x 34ppg = 34 points
1lb Roasted Barley x 33ppg = 33 points
0.75lb Chocolate x 29ppg = 21 points
0.5lbs Flaked Oats x 33ppg = 16 points
0.5lbs Milk Sugar x 35ppg = 17points *added to boil*
Hops
2 oz EKG @ 60m
Yeast
Wyeast 1028 - London Ale Yeast
Boil Additions
0.5lbs Milk Sugar @ 10m
Brewing
5 gallons of water at 170° to reach 155°
The Numbers
Total Points: 581
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity:1.089 (1.058 @ 65%)
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity:
Efficiency:
Expected Post-Boil Gravity: 1.097 (1.063 @ 65%)
Actual Post-Boil Gravity:
Efficiency:
Expected Final Gravity:
Acual Final Gravity:
% ABV:
Attenuation:
The Verdict
10lbs Marris Otter Pale x 38ppg = 380 points
2lbs White Wheat x 40ppg = 80 points
1lb Crystal 60L x 34ppg = 34 points
1lb Roasted Barley x 33ppg = 33 points
0.75lb Chocolate x 29ppg = 21 points
0.5lbs Flaked Oats x 33ppg = 16 points
0.5lbs Milk Sugar x 35ppg = 17points *added to boil*
Hops
2 oz EKG @ 60m
Yeast
Wyeast 1028 - London Ale Yeast
Boil Additions
0.5lbs Milk Sugar @ 10m
Brewing
5 gallons of water at 170° to reach 155°
The Numbers
Total Points: 581
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity:1.089 (1.058 @ 65%)
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity:
Efficiency:
Expected Post-Boil Gravity: 1.097 (1.063 @ 65%)
Actual Post-Boil Gravity:
Efficiency:
Expected Final Gravity:
Acual Final Gravity:
% ABV:
Attenuation:
The Verdict
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Oktoberfestivus
Grains
8 lbs Pale 2-Row x 37ppg = 296 points
2.0 lbs Vienna x 37ppg = 37 points
2 lbs Munich Dark x 33ppg = 66 points
1 lbs Aromatic x 35ppg = 35 points
1 lbs Crystal 20L x 35ppg = 35 points
1 lb Carapils x 33ppg = 33 points
0.5 lb Crystal 40L x 34ppg = 17 points
Hops:
2 oz Tettnang @ 60m
1 oz Tettnang @ 45m
1 oz Tettnang @ 30m
Yeast:
Wyeast German Ale Yeast
Brewing:
15.5lbs @ 1.25q/lb = 19.3q or 5gallons
Mash at 157°
The Numbers:
Total: 519 points
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity = 1.087
Actual Pre-Boil:1.052
Efficiency: 60%
Expected Post-Boil Gravity = 1.094
Actual Post-Boil: 1.055
Efficiency: 59%
Final: 1.022
ABV: 4.3%
Attenuation: 60%
The Verdict:
Oh man. This is by-far the worst beer we've made. I'm not sure I can even drink it. The SUPER low attenuation means it is like drinking sweet, beer-flavored tea. Not what I'm looking for. We've got no idea what went wrong but this did not turn out like it should have. Wow its awful.
Its slightly better in the bottle. Maybe we should learn more about aging our beers. But they're so tasty, I just want to drink them!
8 lbs Pale 2-Row x 37ppg = 296 points
2.0 lbs Vienna x 37ppg = 37 points
2 lbs Munich Dark x 33ppg = 66 points
1 lbs Aromatic x 35ppg = 35 points
1 lbs Crystal 20L x 35ppg = 35 points
1 lb Carapils x 33ppg = 33 points
0.5 lb Crystal 40L x 34ppg = 17 points
Hops:
2 oz Tettnang @ 60m
1 oz Tettnang @ 45m
1 oz Tettnang @ 30m
Yeast:
Wyeast German Ale Yeast
Brewing:
15.5lbs @ 1.25q/lb = 19.3q or 5gallons
Mash at 157°
The Numbers:
Total: 519 points
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity = 1.087
Actual Pre-Boil:1.052
Efficiency: 60%
Expected Post-Boil Gravity = 1.094
Actual Post-Boil: 1.055
Efficiency: 59%
Final: 1.022
ABV: 4.3%
Attenuation: 60%
The Verdict:
Oh man. This is by-far the worst beer we've made. I'm not sure I can even drink it. The SUPER low attenuation means it is like drinking sweet, beer-flavored tea. Not what I'm looking for. We've got no idea what went wrong but this did not turn out like it should have. Wow its awful.
Its slightly better in the bottle. Maybe we should learn more about aging our beers. But they're so tasty, I just want to drink them!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Nut Brown
Grains
9.00 lb 2 Row x 37ppg = 333
1.00 lb Crystal 60L x 34ppg = 34
0.50 lb Victory x 34ppg = 17
0.25 lb Chocolate x 29ppg = 10
Hops
1oz Fuggles @ 60m
1 oz East Kent Goldings @ 15
Yeast
Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast - Started 2 days prior in 1 quart water with 1 cup DME
The Numbers
Added 4 Gallons of water at 169° to reach a Mash Temp of 156°. Decreased to 153° over 1 hour.
Total Points: 394
Expected Pre-Boil: 1.061
Actual Pre-Boil: 1.044
Efficiency: 72%
Expected Post-Boil: 1.066
Actual Post-Boil: 1.059
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV: 6.2%
Attenuation: 95.5%
The Verdict
This was much better than our first Nut Brown. I'm actually kind of surprised our efficiency so high, its been a lot lower since. I still wish it was a bit Nuttier though. Its a bit too smooth still and needs more of a bite. I'm not sure what that means though, in terms of what to change in the recipe.
9.00 lb 2 Row x 37ppg = 333
1.00 lb Crystal 60L x 34ppg = 34
0.50 lb Victory x 34ppg = 17
0.25 lb Chocolate x 29ppg = 10
Hops
1oz Fuggles @ 60m
1 oz East Kent Goldings @ 15
Yeast
Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast - Started 2 days prior in 1 quart water with 1 cup DME
The Numbers
Added 4 Gallons of water at 169° to reach a Mash Temp of 156°. Decreased to 153° over 1 hour.
Total Points: 394
Expected Pre-Boil: 1.061
Actual Pre-Boil: 1.044
Efficiency: 72%
Expected Post-Boil: 1.066
Actual Post-Boil: 1.059
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV: 6.2%
Attenuation: 95.5%
The Verdict
This was much better than our first Nut Brown. I'm actually kind of surprised our efficiency so high, its been a lot lower since. I still wish it was a bit Nuttier though. Its a bit too smooth still and needs more of a bite. I'm not sure what that means though, in terms of what to change in the recipe.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Simple Hefewissen
For our next brew, we decided to make a simple hefewissen. Until L decided he loved hops more, wheats were his favorite type of beer. I really enjoy them too, so we decided to take on the challenge before the prime summer wheat-drinking time ended. The recipe came from the Home Brew Talk recipe database and apparently has won a bunch of awards. We didn't really want to alter the flavor of the beer too much with something like honey or orange so we just stuck pretty much with the original recipe.
Some folks say wheat beers are harder to brew, but I don't believe that's exactly the case. The reason that water flows so well through a barley mash is because barley grains have an exterior casing that essentially supports the weight of the rest of the barley grain. The casing prevents the mash from setting so tightly that water cannot pass through. Wheat naturally does not have any casing on it's grains, so when you mix it with warm water it turns to mush a lot like oatmeal without any holes or pathways for water to flow through. Rice hulls are essentially the casings from rice that are incorporated into the mash to add structural support for the grain bed. Before you actually add the rice hulls, they should be rinsed and soaked so they don't mess up your water amount calculations.
This was actually our cheapest beer yet. It cost about $31 including the yeast. We might have folks over to help us drink this one since it was so cheap!
Grains
7 lbs White Wheat
4 lbs German Pilsner
~0.5 lbs Rice Hulls
Hops
0.75 oz Tellertau at 45 min
0.25 oz Tellertau at 15 min
Yeast
Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen - Started 5 days prior in 1 cup DME and 1 quart water.
Brewing
Protein Rest at ~132° for 20 min
Saccrification rest at ~154° for 90 min
Fly Sparge to collect 6.5 gallons
Boil for 60 min
The Numbers
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity:1.072
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity:1.048
Efficiency: 67%
Expected Post-Boil Gravity:1.079
Actual Post-Boil Gravity:1.053
Efficiency: 67%
Expected Final Gravity:
Acual Final Gravity: 1.010
% ABV: 5.63
Attenuation:81%
The Verdict
This was DELICIOUS!!!! It was super banana-y but didn't have a super awesome head. We had folk from Southeast over and they loved it too! We fermented it a room temperature because the fermentation chiller still isn't done so that might have affected the yeasties some.
Some folks say wheat beers are harder to brew, but I don't believe that's exactly the case. The reason that water flows so well through a barley mash is because barley grains have an exterior casing that essentially supports the weight of the rest of the barley grain. The casing prevents the mash from setting so tightly that water cannot pass through. Wheat naturally does not have any casing on it's grains, so when you mix it with warm water it turns to mush a lot like oatmeal without any holes or pathways for water to flow through. Rice hulls are essentially the casings from rice that are incorporated into the mash to add structural support for the grain bed. Before you actually add the rice hulls, they should be rinsed and soaked so they don't mess up your water amount calculations.
This was actually our cheapest beer yet. It cost about $31 including the yeast. We might have folks over to help us drink this one since it was so cheap!
Grains
7 lbs White Wheat
4 lbs German Pilsner
~0.5 lbs Rice Hulls
Hops
0.75 oz Tellertau at 45 min
0.25 oz Tellertau at 15 min
Yeast
Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen - Started 5 days prior in 1 cup DME and 1 quart water.
Brewing
Protein Rest at ~132° for 20 min
Saccrification rest at ~154° for 90 min
Fly Sparge to collect 6.5 gallons
Boil for 60 min
The Numbers
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity:1.072
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity:1.048
Efficiency: 67%
Expected Post-Boil Gravity:1.079
Actual Post-Boil Gravity:1.053
Efficiency: 67%
Expected Final Gravity:
Acual Final Gravity: 1.010
% ABV: 5.63
Attenuation:81%
The Verdict
This was DELICIOUS!!!! It was super banana-y but didn't have a super awesome head. We had folk from Southeast over and they loved it too! We fermented it a room temperature because the fermentation chiller still isn't done so that might have affected the yeasties some.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
ILM Imperial IPA
L's favorite beer that we've brewed so far, and one of his favorite beers ever, was the IPA kit we got from Wilmington Homebrew. Seriously, if you're bored in ILM, go hang out. They're awesome. L wanted to brew the IPA again but all grain style so I converted the recipe and we brewed.
This was probably our most challenging brew day yet. It was miserable. I couldn't walk the next day. No, really. I slept with a heating pad wrapped around each foot.
The previous weekend, we went by my parents house to raid their garden. My mom had a ridiculous garden. We brought home enough produce to feed a small country. Monday I made 4 pints of squash pickles. Tuesday, 4 quarts of pickled jalapeno peppers. Wednesday, we went to the Slightly Stoopid/311 concert. Thursday, we brewed and made 2 quarts of dill pickles, pasta salad, sirracha hummus, and zucchini bread. All after work. Friday, we got up early and went to the beach. It was worth it.
Grains
14lbs 2-Row
1.5lb Vienna Malt
0.5lb Biscuit Malt
0.5lb Crystal-40L
Hops
1oz Warrior at 60 min
1oz Columbus at 40 min
1oz Citra at 20 min
1oz Chinook at 20 min
1oz Chinook at 0 min
1oz Columbus at 0 min
2oz Simcoe Dry Whole Cone at Secondary.
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale - started 2 days before.
Brewing
Mashed at 154° for 60 minutes.
Fly Sparge to collect 6.5 Gallons.
60 minute Boil.
The Numbers
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.101 (1.071 @ 70%)
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.065ish*
Efficiency: 64.4%*
Expected Post-Boil Gravity:1.110 (1.077 at 70%)
Actual Post-Boil Gravity: 1.072*
Expected Final Gravity:
Acual Final Gravity:
% ABV:
Attenuation:
* So we didn't do a very good job of keeping track of our data this time. I guess we were just distracted by all the other crap going on. We didn't actually write down either of the original gravities. But this is what we think they were. I know the pre-boil gave us a mid-60s efficiency but the post-boil was slightly better.
We also didn't take ANY pictures. Lame.
For the mash, we started out with 4.5 gallons at 169° which got us to 151°. Then I found this handy dandy calculator to figure out the temperature we should get the other 2 gallons to achieve the right temperature and thickness. We added the two gallons at 162° and ended up at 154° right where we wanted to be.
After we brewed, I even mopped the kitchen. It was a late night. While I do think its a good idea to multitask while brewing, I don't recommend doing quite this much!
The Verdict
L LOVES this beer. He thinks it is fabulous. I think it is wayyy to hoppy. But, it does smell amazing. Those Simcoe hops are phenomenal!!
This was probably our most challenging brew day yet. It was miserable. I couldn't walk the next day. No, really. I slept with a heating pad wrapped around each foot.
The previous weekend, we went by my parents house to raid their garden. My mom had a ridiculous garden. We brought home enough produce to feed a small country. Monday I made 4 pints of squash pickles. Tuesday, 4 quarts of pickled jalapeno peppers. Wednesday, we went to the Slightly Stoopid/311 concert. Thursday, we brewed and made 2 quarts of dill pickles, pasta salad, sirracha hummus, and zucchini bread. All after work. Friday, we got up early and went to the beach. It was worth it.
Grains
14lbs 2-Row
1.5lb Vienna Malt
0.5lb Biscuit Malt
0.5lb Crystal-40L
Hops
1oz Warrior at 60 min
1oz Columbus at 40 min
1oz Citra at 20 min
1oz Chinook at 20 min
1oz Chinook at 0 min
1oz Columbus at 0 min
2oz Simcoe Dry Whole Cone at Secondary.
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale - started 2 days before.
Brewing
Mashed at 154° for 60 minutes.
Fly Sparge to collect 6.5 Gallons.
60 minute Boil.
The Numbers
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.101 (1.071 @ 70%)
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.065ish*
Efficiency: 64.4%*
Expected Post-Boil Gravity:1.110 (1.077 at 70%)
Actual Post-Boil Gravity: 1.072*
Expected Final Gravity:
Acual Final Gravity:
% ABV:
Attenuation:
* So we didn't do a very good job of keeping track of our data this time. I guess we were just distracted by all the other crap going on. We didn't actually write down either of the original gravities. But this is what we think they were. I know the pre-boil gave us a mid-60s efficiency but the post-boil was slightly better.
We also didn't take ANY pictures. Lame.
For the mash, we started out with 4.5 gallons at 169° which got us to 151°. Then I found this handy dandy calculator to figure out the temperature we should get the other 2 gallons to achieve the right temperature and thickness. We added the two gallons at 162° and ended up at 154° right where we wanted to be.
After we brewed, I even mopped the kitchen. It was a late night. While I do think its a good idea to multitask while brewing, I don't recommend doing quite this much!
The Verdict
L LOVES this beer. He thinks it is fabulous. I think it is wayyy to hoppy. But, it does smell amazing. Those Simcoe hops are phenomenal!!
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| Dry Hopping |
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| 2 ounces of Simcoe Leaf Hops take up a lot of space! |
Friday, August 31, 2012
Bourbon Vanilla Porter
This is by far the darkest beer we've brewed. And it had better be delicious. I'm excited.
Grains
11lb 2-Row
2.5lb Munich Malt
1.5lb Brown Malt
1.0lb Crystal-120L
0.5lb Crystal-40L
0.5lb Chocolate Malt
Hops
0.8oz Magnum (14.6% AA) at 60 min
0.5oz Syrian Golding (4.75% AA) at 10 min
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale - Started 5 days before in 1Q water with 1 cup DME.
Brewing
Mashed at 154° for 60 minutes.
Fly Spage at 185° to collect 6.5 gallons
60 Minute Boil.
Post-Boil Additions
When racked to secondary on July 23, 4 chopped Madagascar Vanilla Beans, soaking in about 1/4 cup vanilla vodka were added.
When bottle, 400ml Maker's Mark Bourbon was added.
The Numbers
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.092 (1.069 @ 75%)
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.064
Efficiency: 69.5%
Expected Post-Boil Gravity: 1.100 (1.075 @ 75%)
Actual Post-Boil Gravity:1.072
Expected Final Gravity:1.027 @ 75% Attenuation
Actual Final Gravity: 1.018
% ABV: 7.2
Attenuation: 96%
This time we tried to be a little more precise with the mash temperature. We were shooting for 154°. We started with 4.5 gallons at 168° which brought us to 149°. Then we added a gallon at 100° then a gallon at 168° and were still only at 147°. We added one more gallon at boiling to bring us to 155°. That didn't last long and it was at 154° within 10 minutes of mashing. After an hour mash, it was at 152°. The big problem with this batch was that it was much thinner than we planned because we had to add so much boiling water. Next time, I'll find a calculator that does temperature change so we'll be better prepared.
Otherwise, this was a pretty standard brew. All-Grain really isn't all that hard. It just takes a long time. The upside to that, though is that it doesn't require a whole lot of babysitting so you can get other stuff done while you're waiting for the next step.
The Verdict
Excellent Porter. I don't remember what it was like in the keg, but bottled its excellent. I think the balance of vanilla and bourbon is perfect but L thinks there is way too much vanilla. Maybe next time we shouldn't use 4 whole beans. That was twice what Denny's recipe called for. Oops :)
Grains
11lb 2-Row
2.5lb Munich Malt
1.5lb Brown Malt
1.0lb Crystal-120L
0.5lb Crystal-40L
0.5lb Chocolate Malt
Hops
0.8oz Magnum (14.6% AA) at 60 min
0.5oz Syrian Golding (4.75% AA) at 10 min
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale - Started 5 days before in 1Q water with 1 cup DME.
Brewing
Mashed at 154° for 60 minutes.
Fly Spage at 185° to collect 6.5 gallons
60 Minute Boil.
Post-Boil Additions
When racked to secondary on July 23, 4 chopped Madagascar Vanilla Beans, soaking in about 1/4 cup vanilla vodka were added.
When bottle, 400ml Maker's Mark Bourbon was added.
The Numbers
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.092 (1.069 @ 75%)
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.064
Efficiency: 69.5%
Expected Post-Boil Gravity: 1.100 (1.075 @ 75%)
Actual Post-Boil Gravity:1.072
Expected Final Gravity:1.027 @ 75% Attenuation
Actual Final Gravity: 1.018
% ABV: 7.2
Attenuation: 96%
This time we tried to be a little more precise with the mash temperature. We were shooting for 154°. We started with 4.5 gallons at 168° which brought us to 149°. Then we added a gallon at 100° then a gallon at 168° and were still only at 147°. We added one more gallon at boiling to bring us to 155°. That didn't last long and it was at 154° within 10 minutes of mashing. After an hour mash, it was at 152°. The big problem with this batch was that it was much thinner than we planned because we had to add so much boiling water. Next time, I'll find a calculator that does temperature change so we'll be better prepared.
Otherwise, this was a pretty standard brew. All-Grain really isn't all that hard. It just takes a long time. The upside to that, though is that it doesn't require a whole lot of babysitting so you can get other stuff done while you're waiting for the next step.
The Verdict
Excellent Porter. I don't remember what it was like in the keg, but bottled its excellent. I think the balance of vanilla and bourbon is perfect but L thinks there is way too much vanilla. Maybe next time we shouldn't use 4 whole beans. That was twice what Denny's recipe called for. Oops :)
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| Collecting Water - the black thing is the cup holder from our 5-gallon water cooler. |
 |
| Madagascar Vanilla Beans |
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| Soaking in Vodka for sanitization |
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| Beans in the Carboy |
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| It's so DARK! |
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